So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable.
Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. (1 Cor 15:58)

Thursday, 11 April 2013

Today Reminder - 12 April 2013 (Redeemer)

A
reminder for today

Then the
women of the town said to Naomi, "Praise the LORD, who has now provided a
redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. (Ruth 4:14)

Ruth married Boaz and the Lord enabled her to get
pregnant and she gave birth to a son. In this sense she was redeemed of all
past imperfections and troubles and her status within the society as well as
her family’s status was redeemed. I kept thinking of this verse today and the
song “My redeemer lives” keep popping into my head. A son was born, a redeemer
for Ruth and Naomi.

My dear friend, many years ago a son was born who came
and redeemed all of us. Just as the bad was replaced by this wonderful news of
a baby boy, we live in a world where
Jesus gave up His life and rose from the dead to redeem us of our sins and take
away our fear of death.

It is interesting how this boy’s descendants became the
family line from which Jesus was born. Obed was born to redeem Naomi and Ruth,
and later Jesus was born to redeem humanity. Do you see the great purpose that Ruth
was destined for? And I want to just stop here for a moment. No matter where
you are and who you are, you are there for a reason and a purpose. All that is
happening to you is part of God’s plan and in the end you too will play a huge
role in God’s plan. Even if you only touch one life and that one person can
change one more and so on and so on. Can you imagine the ripple effect this can
have on our society? Do not for one moment think that you are insignificant in
God’s plan. You might just be Obed to a friend, a family member, your wife,
your husband, your son or your daughter. Please do not take your role in this
life lightly. You are much too valuable to lose.

Book for the month

Many Christians feel bombarded by the messages they hear and the trends they see in our rapidly changing world. How can we resist being conformed to the pattern of this world? What will faithfulness to Christ look like in these tumultuous times? How can we be true to the gospel in a world where myths and false visions of the world so often prevail? In This is Our Time, Trevin Wax provides snapshots of twenty-first-century American Life in order to help Christians understand the times. By analyzing our common beliefs and practices (smartphone habits, entertainment intake, and our views of shopping, sex, marriage, politics, and life’s purpose), Trevin helps us see through the myths of society to the hope of the gospel. As faithful witnesses to Christ, Trevin writes, we must identify the longing behind society’s most cherished myths (what is good, true, beautiful), expose the lie at the heart of these myths (what is false and damaging), and show how the gospel tells a better story – one that exposes the lie but satisfies the deeper longing.

Movie of the month

The pre-ministry life of Jesus from his baptism with John the Baptist to his exploration of the wilderness